In recent years, computer systems have become increasingly complex. With greater complexity has come greater component density on the printed circuit boards (PCB's). This greater density has added more weight to the PCB's, which has put more stress on the substrate. To make matters worse, heavyweight heat sinks have been added to PCB's to cool components, such as microprocessors, that generate significant amounts of heat. This additional weight has resulted in even more mechanical stress being imposed on the substrate. This increased stress can cause the PCB to bend, which can lead to severing of electrical contacts and even component damage. To prevent this from happening, PCB's are often mounted onto rigid support trays that provide mechanical support for the PCB'S.
When it comes time to install the PCB into a computer chassis, the entire assembly, including the PCB and the support tray, is typically installed. Because of the weight of the assembly (which can be upward of six to ten pounds or even more), and because of the tight dimensions of the chassis, installation can be difficult. To install the assembly into the chassis, a user has to lower the assembly into the chassis. When doing this, the user typically cannot hold onto the sides of the assembly (due to the tight dimensions of the chassis). This means that the user has to hold on to some small portion of the PCB or the support tray when lowering the assembly into the chassis. Given the weight of the assembly, this can be difficult to do. The user could grab hold of some of the components on the PCB, such as the heat sink, but this is undesirable because it could tear off or damage the components.
To facilitate the installation process, some support trays have provided some small knobs that the user can hold on to when lowering the assembly into the chassis. While this is better than nothing, it is still not a wholly satisfactory solution because, even with the knobs, the assembly is difficult to hold and maneuver. Because of the shortcomings of the current support trays, an improved support tray design is needed to make the installation process easier and more convenient.